If you don't mind being open minded and straight forward I could use some advice. I want to buy a 17 casita or a 177 r-pod. I've done some research but would love to hear the opinions of people who actually have some experience with either of these. r-pod, very small bathroom and no sink, has no hanging locker - not sure about the floor or wall construction. Casita, heavier, not as much living area as the slide out 177 - no dealer network/maint. facilities if you travel - much smaller tanks - much more expensive with comparible upgrades. Have read some scary stories about both on their forums. Please help with some practical advice. I have owned large 5th wheels before but want a little camping trailor that I will tow with a small truck with a max tow rating of 3400 lbs. Thanks in advance. Greg bradysplace1@earthlink.net

I just sold my 16' T@da which was self contained with a bed,bath,kitchen and weighed 2400 lbs dry. If it is just for you, a Casita or Scamp and R-pod would be fine. If you have more than 1 occupant then these all get a little cramped. I'm moving up to a 19' Lance travel trailer but it weighs 3400 lbs dry and maybe too much for your tv.

We have a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe. We've put 15,000 miles on it in the last 18 months. We love it.

We boondock almost exclusively and it's perfect for that.

If you were to carry all the stuff we do, you'd be right up against your tow limit, though. We had a 5000lb limit on our Pathfinder and just recently moved up to a Tahoe.

They are more expensive but if you check the used market (if you can find one) you'll find that they hold their value very well.

You're right, there are no dealers which means that there is also no dealer mark-up. You live in Texas so picking one up at Rice shouldn't be a problem.

As for maintenance, anything that you will need fixed will be covered by the specific product warranty and can be repaired at any RV repair facility. (When we picked ours up, on the way back to California the water pump failed. I called the factory and there was a new pump waiting for us when we got home.)

The shell itself is very solid and should not need any repairs unless you wreck it. Even then you could take it back to Rice or to any boat yard that repairs fiberglass boats.

Good luck. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.

LS

EDIT TO ADD:

Quote:Have read some scary stories about both on their forums.

For the Casita, I take it you're talking about the exploding tires? This seems to be a weight problem as the 17 footer is very close to the weight restrictions on the Load C tires. Many, if not most, of us have moved up to Load D tires and Casita now offers Load Ds as an option.

Depends on what you like; a larger more square TT like Casita or a more streamlined (less interior space) retro TT like Rpod. The Casita is more practical, but I like the feel & look of the Rpod, so.......... I had a Scamp and wound up with a FunFinder and an Aliner, but I'm still looking (I really like the new Trailmanor Liteweight).... notyetconvinced, jerry